Chapter 5: Chapter 5
"The Heavenly Emperor is right. Soma must be in the Ocean of Milk," said Varuna, the Water God.
Vayu, the Wind God, and Agni, the Fire God, nodded in agreement.
"The Ocean of Milk, where Goddess Lakshmi also resides. Our divine power is weakening. If this continues, we might not even have the strength to fly back to the heavens," said Surya, the Sun God, with a helpless expression.
Indra looked at Surya.
At this moment, Surya's face had turned pitch black, his eyes and tongue also darkened, devoid of any brilliance.
Even a person with the darkest skin wasn't as black as him!
At this point, Garuda's anger flared. Spreading his wings wide and ruffling his feathers, he accused, "If it weren't for you, Heavenly Emperor, delaying us with your prolonged meditation, we would have met Lord Vishnu early on to seek a solution. Soma would not have disappeared, and the heavens wouldn't be in this state!"
"So, what?" Indra turned his head, his face growing cold.
This Garuda seemed to be constantly picking a fight with him!
"What do you mean, 'so what'?"
"Is that why you destroyed my palace?"
"That's a minor issue compared to your disrespect towards Lord Vishnu. I am here under Lord Vishnu's orders, waiting for a long time, and yet you showed no response, lost in your meditation. Even Lord Brahma's deep meditation once angered Lord Shiva. Your crime of disrespect towards the supreme lord is unforgivable!"
Garuda stared at Indra, his prideful nature as the mighty eagle not allowing him to hold back his criticism.
His fury only grew.
He had struggled to reach the heavens, only to find a desolate scene.
The gods were losing their power, and all was withering!
Efforts wasted, divine orders unfulfilled!
"Indra, your sins are unforgivable!"
Garuda's wings moved, creating whirlwinds. He extended his right hand, which began to glow with golden light. A large hammer materialized in his grasp, and he stormed towards Indra in rage.
Indra's eyes widened, staring at Garuda.
This guy...
Was going to hit him!
Indra was stunned!
The other gods were also petrified, mouths agape and eyes wide in shock.
Indra stared fixedly at Garuda, who approached with the golden hammer raised, its round head casting a shadow over Indra's head.
Gulp!
Indra swallowed hard.
He hadn't meditated for centuries just to get beaten!
He immediately decided to act first!
However, in his current weakened state, he couldn't summon any weapons. He had only one option left!
"Garuda!"
Indra mustered his composure and pointed at Garuda, shouting.
"Garuda! Garuda! Garuda!"
With each shout, the power of his meditation surged, resonating throughout the heavens with thunderous echoes. Lightning rolled through the clouds.
Boom!
Rumble!
The heavens trembled, and Indra's centuries of accumulated meditative power surged, affecting the entire celestial realm.
"There can be only one sun in the sky, and only one ruler in a kingdom!"
"In the universe, there is only one Heavenly Emperor, and that is me, Indra!"
"This is the law of the cosmos!"
Indra's voice thundered.
Garuda's movements paused slightly.
Indra's eyes locked onto Garuda's, his voice deep and resonant.
"We share the same father, Sage Kashyapa."
"You live happily by Lord Vishnu's side, protected and blessed, without needing a brother like me. Yet, you come here under divine orders, telling me, 'Indra, your sins are unforgivable.'"
"You show me no respect, neither as a brother nor as a friend!"
"You don't even address me as the Heavenly Emperor!"
"Now, you disrupt my meditation and even seek to strike your brother. Your arrogance and anger have clouded your judgment. You have defied the cosmic order, and I shall curse you!"
"Garuda!"
Indra shouted once more.
At that moment, the power of his meditation formed a pillar of light, piercing through the heavens and into the earthly realm, illuminating the Ganges River.
The Ganges Goddess appeared above the river, transforming into a beautiful woman with four arms.
She wore a white lotus on her head, gold ornaments all over her body, her face like white jade, with a swan-like neck and fair skin. She held a holy pot in one hand, a lotus flower in another, while her other two hands were clasped in a gesture of praise.
"Praise be to Heavenly Emperor Indra!"
The Ganges Goddess gazed at the light reaching the heavens, singing praises.
The Ganges, being a sacred river, enhanced the power of curses!
Splash!
The Ganges water crossed the void, spanning countless distances, instantly appearing in the heavens and pouring over Garuda.
The sacred waters drenched Garuda, clinging to his feathers despite his attempts to shake them off, turning him into a soaked bird.
...
"This is bad!"
"This is a curse of karmic entanglement! Indra is casting a curse!"
Far above the Ocean of Milk, Vishnu's calm expression grew serious as he realized the gravity of the situation.
On Mount Kailash, under a banyan tree, Shiva sat in meditation, his long hair flowing down, with his third eye closed. He wore a leopard skin, with his trident beside him. One leg was bent, while the other rested relaxedly, appearing deep in thought.
His mount, the bull Nandi, dressed in white, flicked its short ears, looking at Shiva.
"My Lord, it seems Garuda is in trouble!"
Nandi said.
"Garuda has committed the sin of arrogance, disturbing the meditation of a devotee. Indra's actions are justified according to the cosmic law."
Shiva replied.
With that, he slowly closed his eyes.
Nandi paused, nodded, and reminded himself to be cautious in the future.
In Brahmaloka.
Brahma widened his eyes, observing the scene.
The Heavenly Emperor meditating was rare enough, but cursing someone was even rarer!
The gods were usually carefree and indulgent, rarely engaging in serious meditation or ascetic practices.
But if Indra managed to complete his curse, the situation would become uncontrollable!
Realizing this, Brahma immediately summoned someone to intervene in the heavens.
...
Garuda!!!
As the echoing sound reverberated, Garuda's expression finally showed panic. He stared at Indra in disbelief.
The other gods were also shocked by the sight.
Just a few hundred years apart, and the Heavenly Emperor had become so assertive!
At this moment, Garuda took a deep breath, calming his mind. As the proud celestial eagle, he feared no curse.
"Go ahead and curse me. I won't back down from anyone's curse!"
"Especially not from you, Indra!"
Garuda said with courage.
Seeing this, Indra's eyes narrowed. He stared at Garuda and then slowly smiled, speaking each word deliberately.
"I curse you!"
"You shall never see Lord Vishnu again, whether by day, night, or twilight. As a devotee, your offerings will not reach the divine flames, your hymns will not reach the Lord's ears!"
"You will never sense any presence of the Lord! You will receive no response from the Lord!"
The words echoed!
Boom!
Garuda felt as if struck by lightning!
(End of chapter)
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